Things from other countries to improve ours

[babasaclover]

Every time I go to another country I take back things I think wow wish we did that in uk eg

•beer served in an ice cold glass from the freezer

•always getting water when you sit down in restaurant without asking

•in Ireland castles are free to get into in summer holidays!

what else do you wish we had here?

Traffic lights that count down.

Bread served as you sit down. Just little things that make life happier and remind me of decades passed!

German ice cream parlours

Trains where you get a seat allocated with your ticket.

Yes!!!! I love that so simple but takes the stress out of how we feel whilst waiting

Have not experienced that. What is so good about it?

Decent public transport.

A culture where public amenities are not to be destroyed.

Walk or public transport to school, and school close to home.

So civilised!!!!

They are just amazing. The fkavours, the sundaes... just everything.
And the Apple Strudel.

(And a nice cold beer while you enjoy the ice cream)

And the outdoor pools

I would so love to be able to walk to school but it’s 2 miles. Not unwalkable at all but because have to rush straight off to work I need to drive so can get to work asap.

Feels like service in uk gets worse and worse for ages now yet they slap a 12% service charge on anyway. Happy to tip but service abroad so much better!

@OneTimeThingTodaythat sounds great. I love ice cream.

nice how they can sell beer and it doesn’t become a punch up either just a civilised drink or two

Membership of the EU!

Fika! In Sweden it means a bite to eat with coffee and company. In work places it's like a proper, old fashioned tea break. At 10.00 everyone stops working and heads to the canteen, where we get a sandwich and coffee. Same again at 3.00 but with a cinnamon bun.

One meal a day or intermittent fasting would send a swede into a hobbit meltdown. 'But what about fika!'

US/Australian style sign street names up on a signpost where you can see them

The culture of stopping!

Stopping for lunch for example - 30 - 40 minutes. Local bistro/osteria. Decent fare, very reasonable. Back to work.

I am never as stressed at work over "there" as I am at home and I think that is why.

Why have had a sneaky import of US corporate culture.

Traffic lights that go from red to green without red+amber - no racing away and causing accidents.

It depends on the castle…they’re not all free.

@Silverofthemoonill be sure to revisit the ones I came across then which were magnificent!

Germany's Pfand system!
And yes to the culture of stopping so wisely suggested by MaraladeorJam . I lived in Italy in my late teens and early 20s, then France before moving to the UK. Nothing can replicate the joy I felt in Italy.

Korean cities where phones and bags aren’t snatched.

Absolutely love Italy. Feels so special there wherever I’ve been.

love their way of enjoying a whole meal for hours several courses with friends rather than rushing through. We see pasta and pizza as the devil which is so untrue if the quality is Italian!

Teaching reading and writing til from age 6 and not earlier

In Benidorm the cycle lanes were between the car lanes not squashed to each side. It allowed the cyclists to have a good road position rather than the gutter.

My 24 year old son and his girlfriend love East Asia; S. Korea, China, Japan. They live in Elephant and Castle here in London where phone snatching happens as often as breathing. It's relentless. Just being able to walk around and totally enjoy their surroundings is a pleasure we've totally lost in our major cities.